Methodological aspects on flow and image cytometric nuclear DNA assessments in prostatic adenocarcinoma

Controversies exist in the literature about the value of the results of cytometric nuclear DNA assessments of the parenchymal cells in prostatic adenocarcinoma. These controversies are most probably due to methodological sources of errors. If these are adequately paid attention to, and if the results of the cytometric DNA assessments are used only as a supplementary tool to the correct fundamental clinical and histopathological data, the cytometric DNA ploidy pattern of each tumour can definitely be a valuable variable in the malignancy grading also of prostatic adenocarcinomas. The best way to eliminate the inherent sources of errors of methodological nature is to use both FCM and ICM parallel.